Artist Bettina Hubby woke up a year or so ago to an urban nightmare: That thumping sound of construction, right across the street from her house.
She lives and works on a well-trafficked thoroughfare in Silver Lake called Rowena Avenue, which has been dug up for what seems like forever in the name of upgrading the pipes.
![Image Not Available _RVD1609](https://www.kcrw.com/images/image_replaced.png/@@images/efecb73e-a516-43a9-b81e-313b836cd641.png)
At first she stewed, but then she got inspired. She started shooting–with her camera–photographs of the workers. It was her way to make a positive out of the negative. To meet the source of the noise. To see the face of the noise. To embrace the noise by making pictures of it.
![Image Not Available Silver Lake artist Bettina Hubby.](https://www.kcrw.com/images/image_replaced.png/@@images/592d0a5c-4fab-4c8d-a625-a08ef510e7ba.png)
This Saturday, she’ll host a little party on Rowena, turning the construction area into an art gallery for a few hours. The construction workers are invited, as are their families. So are the neighbors, including local businesses who have suffered from the blocked road. And a disco ball will adorn a crane, among other festive touches, to celebrate the neighborhood improvements.
Here’s what Bettina had to say: